Double-disk vehicle wheel

ABSTRACT

A double-disk vehicle wheel whose synthetic-resin wheel disks are centered upon a common axis and are mutually juxtaposed to define a tire seat along the outer peripheries of the disks. An annular tire is mounted upon the tire seat, and an axially extending barb, connected with one of the disks and a recess formed in the other disk for receiving the barb define a resiliently deformable snap coupling joining the disks together.

United States Patent 1151 3,695,728 Haussels 1 Oct. 3, 1972 [5DOUBLE-DISK VEHICLE WHEEL 1,497,725 6/1924 Hummel ..301/35 BJ X 72 I tFrazer 1 g Teme/Rhmeland 3,048,447 8/1962 Klint ..301/63 PW 73 Assignee:Happe & C0., Tonisheide, Germany FOREIGN PATENTS 0R APPLICATIONS 22Filed: April 27, 1970 628,786 10/1961 Canada ..301/63 PW PP N05 32,208Primary Examiner-Richard J. Johnson Attorney-Karl F. Ross 30 F A Ii tioPri Data 1 A 1 59 3 969 2 n onty P19217368 [57] ABS CT emany Adouble-disk vehicle wheel whose synthetic-resin 52 us. c1. ..301/63 n1)301/63 PW 152/402 wheel disks are centered axis and are 51 rm. c1. ..B60b 5/02 mutually juxtamsed define a 31mg '9 [58] Field of Search..301/63 PW 63 1) 63 DS Pen'pheries disksannula' mounted upon the tireseat, and an axially extending barb, connected with one of the disks anda recess [56] References Clted formed in the other disk for receivingthe barb define UNITED STATES PATENTS a resiliently deformable snapcoupling joining the d k t h 1,989,189 1/1935 Frank ..301/63 DS s ogeter 789,995 5/1905 McCan ..301/63 DS 4 Claims, 9 Drawing figuresPATENTEDHBIQ m2 SHEET 1 OF 2 B Y M gfR" Attorney PATENTEBBBI 3 m2 SHEET2 OF 2 In ventor: Berfhold Haussels DOUBLE-DISK VEHICLE WHEEL FIELD OFTHE INVENTION SPECIFICATION BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION Generally suchwheels have an annularhollow space between the hub and rim.v portions ofthe two disks. Such wheels have great strength as compared with a wheelof similar dimensions having a single wheel disk. The double-diskconstruction also makes it easy to protect any bearings mounted in thehub.

Wheels of this type are generally bolted or riveted together. To thisend they are formed with matching sets of holes, and the connectingtogether of two disks by bolts or rivets through the holes becomes atimeconsuming operation. Furthermore, when metallic bolts or rivets areused the disks are corrodible, relatively heavy, etc. These connectorsare usually arranged in the hub area of the wheel and the large axialstresses which act on the wheel often suffice to break the two disksapart.

OBJECTS OF THE INVENTION It is, therefore, an object of the presentinvention to provide an improved wheel of the double-disk type.

Another object to provide a double-disk whe'el whose assembly is simple,which is very strong, which is inexpensive and which is of light weight.

The above objects are attained in accordance with the present inventionby a wheel having snap-coupling means for holding the disks together.This means includes a projection formed with a barb on one of the disksand a recess in the other disk, the barb catching in the recess toretain the two together.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION According to a feature of this invention thebarb is formed on an annular flange with generatrices parallel to theaxis on the one disk while the recess is fonned on a mating annularflange on the other disk. These flanges are at the outer edge of thedisks, near the rim, so that the disks are connected togetherat theregion where most breaking stresses are exerted.

Another feature of this invention is the provision of a plurality ofangularly equispaced projections formed with barbs and receivable inrecesses on the opposite disk. Each projection can be simply a pin withahead having a frustoconical surface, or can be a radially elongatedprojection with an enlarged, somewhat pointed head. In both cases therecess is formed to correspond to the shape of the projection, and has anarrow neck behind which the head is adapted to catch.

A wheel according to this invention is assembled by merely placing thetwo disks next to each other and pressing them axially together to snapthem together.

According to yet another feature of the invention a coupling elementformed with a a pair of barbs engageable with each disk is provided,this element serving one case in the form of a ring as a tire seat sothat uncoupling of the two disks is virtually impossible. In additionthe two disks overlap each other axially so that the tendency a wheelhas to break or shear directly across its center is counteracted by thewheel according to this invention since there is no division between thedisks along this plane through the wheel, as in priorart double-diskwheels.

DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWING The above and other objects, features, andadvantages will become apparent from the following description,reference being made to the accompanying drawing, in which:

FIGS. 1 6 are cross sections through wheels according to the presentinvention;

FIG. 7 is a side view of the wheel shown in FIG. 5;

FIG. 8 is an elevational view, partly in section, of yet anotherembodiment of the present invention; and

FIG. 9 is a section taken along line IX-JX of FIG. 8.

SPECIFIC DESCRIPTION hub l'.', '2" of the wheel.

Adjacent the rim 18 the synthetic-resin disk 1 is formed with an axiallyextending flange 5 having a barbed portion 5" and a region 5' of reducedcross section. The disk 2 is formed with a similar flange 6 having abarbed portion 6" and a narrow portion 6'. The two together form a snapcoupling 4 which firmly attaches the two disks together adjacent thisrim 18. A similar snap coupling 4' is provided adjacent the hub l 2' Theformations 5' and 5" have flanks 5a and 5a which lie in -a plane Pperpendicular to the axis of the wheel to bear on one another with axialforce developed when the tire '3 is compressed by loading.

Between the disks 1 and '2 there is a'hollow space H in which arestifiening ribs 1' and'2' which prevent deformation of the wheel in use.

Theembo'diment of FIG. 2 has the same reference numerals as FIG.'1,wherever applicable. Here, however, wheel disks la and 2a extendsubstantially northat allow the wheel to turn freely on the shaft 7.

In FIG. 3 a pneumatic tire 3 is shown mounted on a pair of substantiallyfrustoconical disks lb and 2b, with its stem 19 passing on through thedisk 2b. The two disks lb and 2b are joined together'adjacent the tire 3by a snap coupling 4 as in FIGS. 1 and 2, and ride on a cylindrical ring10 adjacent the shaft 7. A pair of ball bearings 12 are provided withone race against the ring 10 and another between rings 10' on the shaft7.

It can be seen that in FIGS. 1- 3 the disks overlap directly adjacentthe tire. Due to this construction the wheel is extremely strong at itsouter edge so that axial stresses exerted on the tire are not likely toseparate the disks at their outer peripheries, at the tire seat.

The wheel of FIG. 4 has a pair of disks 1c and 2c with stiffening webs1c and 2c and each formed with a respective annular barbed projection 6as in FIG. 1.

Each disk and 2c is flat and the two projections 6 are joined togetherby a cylindrical ring 8 formed with a pair of barbed edges 8 that engageover the barbs 6. A tire 3" is provided which has a flat inner peripherythat fits against the seat 18' formed by the ring 8. The disks 1c andhave inner-periphery flange portions 10" and 20" which abut each otherat their facing edges and straddle a pair of ball bearings 12c separatedby a cylindrical sleeve 10" and riding on the shaft 7.

In FIGS. 5 and 7 there is shown a pair of wheel disks 1d and 2d whichare interconnected by a plurality of pinlike projections 13 formed withenlarged heads 13' each having a frustoconical surface. A hole 14 formedin the disk opposite the projection has a flared neck 14 of largerdiameter than the top 13" of the pin 13 so that this latter can beforced therethrough to lock the two disks together. The projections 13and recesses 14 are alternately spaced around the disks 1d and 2d sothat identical disks can be coupled together, thereby eliminating theneed for two molds for theirmanufacture.

The embodiment of FIG. 6 corresponds substantially to that of FIGS. 5and 7, except that the disks 1e and 2e are each formed with a blindrecess 14a into which is engaged one of the two heads 15' of a couplingelement 15. The bores 14a are flared slightly outwardly in toward eachother to facilitate assembly of the wheel.

ln FIGS. 8 and 9 a pair of similar wheel disks If and 2f are each formedwith radially extending bladelike projections 16 having broad taperedheads 16' axially received in slots 17 in the opposite disk. Eachprojection extends from the tire seat 18a inwardly at least halfway tothe wheel hub 2]. In addition both the projections l6 and slots 17 aretapered inwardly toward the hub, so that they prevent shifting of onedisk relative to the other in any direction. Both the projections l6 andrecesses 17' are formed on spokelike portions of the wheel.

In all embodiments the two synthetic-resin disks are attached togetherby a snap one-way coupling at or immediately adjacent to the tire seatso that the chance that they separate this region is very small.

We claim:

1. A vehicle wheel comprising:

1 a pair of synthetic-resin wheel disks centered upon a common axis andmutually juxtaposed to define a tire seat along the outer peripheries ofsaid disks;

1 an annular tire mounted upon said tire seat;

1 an axially extending flange connected with one said disks andunderlying said tire and provided with an inwardly-extending ridge; and

1 an annular recess formed in the other disk for receiving said flange,said recess and said flange defining a resiliently deformable snapcoupling joining said disks together upon relative axial displacement ofsaid disks toward one another and being formed along said ridge and aconfronting portion of the wall of said recess with mutually abuttingannular flanks lying in a plane perpendicular to the axis of said disks,said flanks preventing axial separation of said disks.

2. The vehicle wheel defined in claim 1 wherein said recess and flangeoverlap axially along said outer portion of said disk.

3. The vehicle wheel defined in claim 1 wherein said disks e rovided wih res ctive hub ortions surroundl rig said axis, said recg s and saidilange being

1. A vehicle wheel comprising: 1 a pair of synthetic-resin wheel diskscentered upon a common axis and mutually juxtaposed to define a tireseat along the outer peripheries of said disks; 1 an annular tiremounted upon said tire seat; 1 an axially extending flange connectedwith one said disks and underlying said tire and provided with aninwardly-extending ridge; and 1 an annular recess formed in the otherdisk for receiving said flange, said recess and said flange defining aresiliently deformable snap coupling joining said disks together uponrelative axial displacement of said disks toward one another and beingformed along said ridge and a confronting portion of the wall of saidrecess with mutually abutting annular flanks lying in a planeperpendicular to the axis of said disks, said flanks preventing axialseparation of said disks.
 2. The vehicle wheel defined in claim 1wherein said recess and flange overlap axially along said outer portionof said disk.
 3. The vehicle wheel defined in claim 1 wherein said disksare provided with respective hub portions surrounding said axis, saidrecess and said flange being provided at said hub portions. 4 Thevehicle wheel defined in claim 1 wherein said disks further comprise ahub portion proximal to said axis and an outer portion carrying saidtire, a respective such snap coupling being provided in each of saidportions.